A different, less creditable reason mining and manufacturing have become political footballs, while services haven’t, involves the need for villains. Demagogues can tell coal miners that liberals took away their jobs with environmental regulations. They can tell industrial workers that their jobs were taken away by nasty foreigners. And they can promise to bring the jobs back by making America polluted again, by getting tough on trade, and so on. These are false promises, but they play well with some audiences.

By contrast, it’s really hard to blame either liberals or foreigners for, say, the decline of Sears. (The chain’s asset-stripping, Ayn Rand-loving owner is another story, but one that probably doesn’t resonate in the heartland.)

This is why Democrats don’t win outside of metropolitan areas very much. I guarantee it would be very easy to blame absentee owners who are looting the company down to the copper pipes for their problems (especially since it’s true). Would it always surmount the appeal of racism? No, but we don’t have to convince that many people.

And the congregation responds: This is yet another reason why can’t have nice things.